Above all that is happening to you today, choose love. Love embraces. Love assumes the best. Love dares to hold to truth even when it’s hard.
Love is a good gift to offer.
Love is a decision we make because it so beautifully reflects what Jesus has told us to do. To be. To exude.
To those who love us and to those who don’t.
Love tilts her head in the direction of grace when she hears the whisper, “Let’s dance.”
And then even when her soul is tired and her feet hurt from all the places she’s been instructed to go – a woman of love whispers back, “Yes.”
Thank you Lisa so very much for this post. I needed this reminder today before I go home tonight. Your words remind me that I need to greet my 15 yr old daughter with Love no matter what she has done today. We are struggling with her attendance at school and now I found out that she has started smoking pot. Please pray for my family.
Thank you
I think this could go for marriages, as well. My husband, Ron and I are always telling one another how much we truly love the other person. He and I definitely care for one another, as we both have disabilities. I’ve got cerebral palsy, and he helps with the physical activities that I’d otherwise have a great deal of difficulty doing without him around.
I’m also legally blind, and I’m Ron’s eyes. I can see things to tell him what they are, as he’s totally blind. Both of us are great for each other, as we understand what the other person’s going through. We’ve both had rocky childhoods because we were born prematurely, making our upbringings really stressful on our families- as caring for us was often difficult.
God is love, and he loves me and my husband just as we are- no matter what disabilities we may have- that we’re both born with. I think God’s using us to teach others that you can do whatever you put your mind to if you really want to do it. Ultimately, one person can make a difference; however, we all work together in an attempt to change the world. Nevertheless, my husband and I use our disabilities to show people that nothing is too hard for us to learn when we really put time and effort into learning.
I was just listening to Wayne Monbleau’s audio on God’s Healing Love. He quoted this scripture, which really inspired me. It was no accident that I opened your email after. This says everything…
“if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.”
God is telling us how we can have His love perfected in us! Isn’t that amazing?
and in context 1 John 4:7-14
“God Is Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is [a]born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested [b]in us, that God has sent His [c]only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.”
Thank you Lysa for all your contributions and love for us.
Paula
Lysa, I have seen you speak 3 times, have done 2 of your bible studies and am a member of Compel . I have witnessed your love for all those God has put in your path and can see God continuing to work in your life as He continues to work in mine. God’s love is given to us freely at the cross and for those who have accepted His love, indeed, need to allow it to flow from our hearts and lives. Thank you for your constant encouragement to be a Woman of Love. Blessings! Mary Ann
Such an encouragement to me today. Such a beautiful way to create a picture in my mind that I needed to see/hear/feel today. Thank you so much for the wonderful work you do Lysa! We’re truly blessed because of it! GOD BLESS
The image I get when I read (and re-read) Love tilts her head in the direction of grace when she hears the whisper, “Let’s dance.” is a beautiful one.
I love your words Lysa!
Thank you for your blessings!
The Spirit spoke to me today through your words. There is no mistaking. An answer to prayer. I’ll write it down as a God thing. Thank you for being His willing messenger. God is sooo good!
Jesus Christ gave us this Commandment, that we MUST LOVE one Another, the WAY He LOVED us FIRST!! LOVE is Much STRONGER than hate!! Anyone who hates is not a Christian!! We Must PRAY for our Leaders in the USA now!! Jesus Christ is Returning SOONER than later, and He is Going to Throw ALL FALSE RELIGIONS into HELL to live and DIE with Satan ( the devil )!! Ye MUST be BORN AGAIN to enter into Heaven through Jesus Christ’s Blood He Shed on the CROSS for our SINS!! God is LOVE through Jesus Christ His One and only SON!!
God is using you in so many ways in so many lives. Thank you for heeding His call to speak truth when we need to hear it most. I’m not sure what prompted this blog today, but it is so appro pro for my last 24 hours, it feels like it was mean specifically for me, and I know I’m not the only one.
Love you Dear Sister!
Desperately needed that encouragement today! It’s hard to love when you feel like you don’t have anything else to give, and when you don’t know that the love will be returned. What an honest reminder that I should still love, because HE loves. Hard truth!
This post is beautifully written. Your words are such a blessing! Thank you for sharing and for the reminder to choose love over all things. Reading your post, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 came to mind – without love, we are nothing! Above all that happens today, tomorrow, this week and so on, I will choose to love. Thanks for the encouragement.
Thank you for sharing today. Loving and being patient is hard at times for me. But I know God loves me without a doubt I am forever grateful. I have a step son and daughter and at times I just want to give up but God reminds me of His love for me in spite of me helps put life in perspective. God bless you.
A big AMEN to this blog post! True love is selfless and Christ-like! God bless you Lysa!
<3
Lysa, you have been a huge blessing in my life! And a great influence. Made to Crave has helped me and my food issues. My mom actually met you today and took a picture with you at the Platform Conference in Dallas! I started a food blog and I’ve mentioned your book a few times. Here’s a recent article where I’ve mentioned Made to Crave: http://sweetestdelicacy.com/2013/11/01/8-ways-to-overcome-emotional-eating/
This was beautiful. Others often struggle to understand why I chose to love those who have hurt me, but love can change the world.
So simple, but so difficult to do sometimes! Beautiful post, Lysa! Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge. Last year I read your book Unglued and it helped me label my life and deal with some issues. Today I am trying to read and find the love that has been lost in my life. I no longer feel love…. love for my husband, love for my children or my parents. There is a dead hollow feeling in my chest. I am searching and praying that God will put love back into my life and help me along the path. 1 Corinthians 13 is my favorite (almost), … and the greatest of all is love.
big AMEN to this blog post!
Thank you Lysa! This is a remarkable way to remind ourselves that love trumps everything does it not? Faith, love, hope…above all is love! I have learned this quite the hard way in my life journey, especially the last two years. God is so amazing and true, Over time, with baby steps, His Holy Spirit has increased in me and I am in awe at the feelings of peace, contentment, and joy, when I walk and talk in love. Easy process? No, as we all know, this is a process requiring action that takes time and baby steps, in my opinion. I have taken many steps backwards but always get up and start moving forward. Each time I do that, God makes me stronger and I take more forward steps.
Thank you again Lysa for your inspiration!
Lysa,
These lines: “Love is a decision we make because it so beautifully reflects what Jesus has told us to do. To be. To exude….” ring true to me tonight, and remind me of how I should respond in my marriage and in my family, even in my weary days. Thanks for this. Choosing it as worship.
Jennifer Dougan
http://www.jenniferdougan.com
Words I needed to hear! Precious reminders of what love REALLY is…not a heart or a feeling but more of an action. I have been so tired and weary, that love has become quiet. I know that, that is not what God wants for me. I want to feel and project love again. Your words sparked something in me tonight. Thank you Lord for speaking through Lysa, bless her Father for doing your will.
Hi my name is Juliza Delgado and the chances of you reading this is very slim but my friend she means the world to me and you have changed her life so much she’s always talking about you and i love your work as well. I wanted to see if some how we could get in touch maybe by phone or email. She’s dieing to meet you and i just want to do something special for.her for once i feel like my voice to reaching out to u and you hearing me is hope less but at least i tried if you read this please email me @ delgado1love@yahoo.com thanks.
I am unable to find where to post comments on your “rerun” post shown on FB on 11/10/13 re:marriage problems. Please remember that men are not the only adulterers and that men are not always the one to “give up”
Lysa, thank you for your work for The Lord. Are there any made to crave groups in the Durham/Chapel Hill area?
Thank you
Hi Lysa…I purposely came to your blog tonight so I could tell you how very much I am enjoying “Unglued!” I participated in the OBS “What Happens When Women Say Yes To God” and loved it, but it was reading that book that led me to “Unglued!” Oh, how I am enjoying your book. It’s refreshing, (for lack of a better word) to read of someone who is JUST LIKE ME. Sadly, I’m sure, just like MOST of us. I am presently on the chapter which speaks of jealousy…..comparing. It is exactly what I needed to read today. You see, I so often find myself doing this and I HATE HATE HATE that I do it. I know Jesus would not be saying “way to go Mary Jo”…..or anything remotely close to that. I often find in family situations…..friend situations……that when someone steps out to do something for another ….say there is a parent in need….or someone else…..I wish I would have done it. I always (or often) feel as if I don’t do enough. I try too….but feel that I let others down. Well, in all truthfulness, I’m not sure I really feel like I let them down….but I’m afraid they will think I don’t care or the other person will think I do nothing. I absolutely know that my issue is WAY TO MUCH WORRYING ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK…….wanting to look good in everyone’s eyes and honestly, it shames me. To that end, can I ask you how you would conquer this? I do pray about it…..I do love and continue to do the things I know the Lord would want me to do and I pray and read scripture, but still, this way of thinking, exists. As you well know, this type of thought process surely doesn’t bring about peace. Thank you Lysa…..and thank you for being a “voice” for Jesus to us. You are an encouragement to me.
P.S. Your blog above is beautiful. It, too, speaks to my “issue!”
I am currently reading Unglued with a study group at my church. I’ve thought about reading this book several times since it first came out, but truly believe that the Lord has had me wait until this perfect time, during my perfect storm to find this wonderful book. While reading Chapter 9, The Empty Woman, you wrote of your friend Sara and how she used her blog to carry love to others. As I read the chapter, I kept feeling this need, a very strong need to look up GITZ and see what her blog was about and who this woman was. I was utterly shocked and comforted to find a blog about a woman who suffered from Ankylosing Spondylitis, shock, because most of the time when I tell people that this is the disease my husband suffers from, they have never heard of it and sometimes if they’ve never heard of it, it can’t possibly be “that bad”. Thankfully at the moment my husband is feeling well, but he has had times in the past when pain is unbearable and as a wife it can be almost as unbearable to witness. It was during his last flare up or episode, that I became such an excellent stuffer and oh the boundaries I built. This book has been amazing in so many ways, but mostly as a reminder, a VERY important reminder, that we are an imperfect work in progress. God has used you in such an amazing way to reach so many women right where we need to be met. God Bless you in all that you do. Kari from MN
Lysa – I am excited about being able to get emails and reading your blog every morning. I started Made to Crave yesterday! As I read the introduction, I thought – Lysa is writing about me! I was saddened to realize how spiritually malnourished I am! I have allowed unhealty food choices to begin the destruction of my body (which I know is the temple of God!) I have done all those “diet tricks” and had all those excuses you talked about. I know all the “how to’s”. My problem is the “want to!” I have cried out to God, please give me the “want to”, wisdom, and discipline in obedience to CHANGE! Not for beauty or vanity, but for me to be spiritually, mentally, and physically healthy and obedient in what God has for me to do in His work! All Glory be to God!
11-14-13
I just had to write after reading today’s encouragement email, “when you don’t know what to say”, I too have asked the same question as Lysa’s friend, “what do you do with pictures” and “what do you do with the Christmas ornaments”, the ones that marked milestones in your life together, there is no more together and it hurts so bad you can’t even bring yourself to look at the pictures and ornaments. It’s been two Christmas now, approaching the third, God had brought me a long ways, to the point that I have given him the pics of him only, kept the others and will pack them away, and I’m starting to release/give back some items that legally are mine but are his and that I have been holding in anger, God said to trust Him, and don’t let the little material things stand in my way; and I’m fixing to try sorting the ornaments, again, to give him his. I wanted to weep when I saw what Lysa done for her friend, I wish some one had done that for me. There was a point I did hit the bottom of the “pit”, that I felt I had no faith at all and that God wasn’t speaking to me, and in some what of anger I yelled and cried out to Him “YOU’R NOT LISTENING TO ME”, and God deals with me very bluntly most times so he replied “You’re not listening to me”, a few months after that conversation with God, and not hearing God for those months, in the middle of one of my real bad, confusion/up-side-downness days I was able to see God working around me, using people to speak to me, I could not hear/listen to Him but he was using people to get to me. As I said, I have come such a long ways and God has used many people in my life and several points God has made to me He used men to do it. My “other life”, before divorce, some times now doesn’t even seem real. Seeing that God was faithful even when I wasn’t, seeing that God held me up when I could not hold my self up, I now look forward to all the good things He has in store for me.
I hope this will help someone that is “going” through the storm of betrayal and divorce, don’t stop keep going, it will get better and God is there for you, you are moving and you will soon move on out of the storm.
It seems to me that I have read this devotion before because at the time I read it, my heart broke for your friend who was moving and dealing with the separation and divorce. I could not imagine what that pain would feel like. Then….it happened to me. My former husband left me for someone else. I have thought of that devotion so many times thru my separation and divorce. I too had to trust in God to get me thru and trust Him I did. He encouraged me in so many ways to trust Him. It wasn’t always easy, and I would pray and cry to Him, but I would always end my prayer “Lord I do trust you. I don’t understand why, but you do, so please help me to trust you.” And as I read today’s devotion, it all came back to me. As I look back thru my time of separation and I can see what God has done for me. He brought me thru it as He promised!! I have not been able to go thru our pics and give him his of him and our children. But I will one day. God is slowly removing all bitterness and hurt, but the main thing is that He is ultimately removing it.
Thank you for today’s devotion. Have a blessed day.
Lysa,
I just wanted you to know how much I am loving reading Unglued. As a fellow exploder that blames and stuffer who throws retaliation rocks, I love how real you are. I feel that if I ever wrote a book, my tone would sound a lot like yours! 🙂 Unglued is definitely helping me deal with my emotions and it is a wonderful reminder that imperfect progress is still progress!
Thank you for being so transparent and for your daily encouragements through your blog and Facebook. You’re a wonderful blessing!! Keep writing!
I have a small index card binder that I carry in my purse, and it has LOTS of scriptures in it. I often pray the scriptures…..the following is one: Jer 17:7-8. Heavenly Father, please help me to have deep roots. You have said, Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. How I pray that I will trust in You alone! I want to be like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. I pray that God will burn this in our hearts!